


Stars

by PlanetaryMusical



Series: ...and a million reasons to survive [1]
Category: A Million Ways to Die in the West
Genre: Anniversary, F/M, Fluff, Romance, Stargazing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:02:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28054344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PlanetaryMusical/pseuds/PlanetaryMusical
Summary: Albert takes Anna out to a special place on their one month anniversary.
Relationships: Anna Barnes/Albert Stark (Million Ways to Die in the West)
Series: ...and a million reasons to survive [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1709638
Kudos: 4





	Stars

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SaturnCapri](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaturnCapri/gifts).



> Hello sheepies,  
> Another fluffy something from me. It took me a while to finish it, but today I did because I don't know if it's the last thing I will ever post here ( will have surgery in a few days and, well you never know, there are a million ways to die, not only in the west...)  
> *drama mode off*  
> Well, however, I hope you like this. 
> 
> PM

"Stars in your multitudes, scarce to be counted,  
filling the darkness."  
_Les Misérables_

"Let's stay right here, that's perfect."  
Albert smiled as he pulled on the reins to slow down Curtis, moving himself out of the saddle just a second later.  
Anna raised her eyebrows as she watched him.

"Well, yeah... It's at least five feet from where I suggested to stay. So, this is definitely the better choice."

She scoffed, smiling though.

"It is indeed the better choice. Look where we are!", Albert replied eagerly, pointing at the cliffs nearby, which were barely showing due to the practically non existent lighting of the late hour. 

Anna tried to recognise anything around her, while dismounting her horse and untying the rolled up blanket behind the saddle.

"Uhm... In the desert?"

She chuckled, shrugging her shoulders. She really couldn't say where the heck they were.

"The swearing place!", Albert shouted cheerfully. 

"The swearing place?"

Anna remembered Albert telling her about that one place in the desert where he went as a kid to say swearing words and scream at the top of is lungs when he was angry about something. Feelings he could never share close to his parents. It was the same place as...

"Oh, wait... It's here? Where we sat the night we first met? And where we got high together that one day?"

"Exactly! It's kind of our personal spot, so, I thought we come back here tonight!"

"That's so sweet... But, well, I am afraid I have no pot cookie with me today. Sorry."

"No problem, for star gazing you better not be high, believe me. Besides, I'm definitely done with drugs since the last time with the indians."

"Well, I guess so. Though it definitely gave you some good ideas..."

Anna winked, smiling as she remembered that day when Albert finally saved her from the monster that had claimed her his wife for years. 

She spread out the big blanket on the dusty ground and sat down, as Albert joined her, setting aside a bag with food and two other woolen blankets to cover. The heat of the day was still sensible, in the air and on the ground, but the night out here would turn chilly very soon, and as they needed a clear view for their star gazing picnic, they couldn't set a bonfire with all the light and smoke. They wouldn't stay the whole night here of course, probably. But a while definitely, just the two of them cuddled up under the starry sky.

Anna leaned back against Albert’s chest, feeling his arms around her a second later, drawing her close. She sighed.  
She still wasn't used to be held like that. So gentle and warm. So full of affection. Four weeks since they've officially become a couple, but still it was all so new. New and exiting and absolutely beautiful. Sometimes it just seemed like a dream.

It had been Albert's idea to come out here tonight. As the hopeless romantic Anna had very early detected him to be, he'd thought it would be the perfect celebration of their one month anniversary to have a nightly picnic right in the place that meant so much to him. Sure, the chance of encountering with a rattlesnake was extremely high, but Albert had to state that he somehow felt different. Something had changed. He felt stronger. Braver, more self confident. He knew the dangers around him were still the same, but he was now more willing to face them. And he was sure, the woman he held in his arms had something to do with that.

He smiled as he watched her lifting her eyes up to the sky.   
She inhaled the fresh evening air, sighing enchantedly at the sight of a meteor falling.   
It wasn't that she'd never watched the nightsky or had never seen a star falling before, of course she had. But not in such a beautiful moment like this, with someone she loved. Not since she was a child, living with her father.

She remembered that one night he would take her out on their front porch, her being around four or five years old, up on his arms, as they would watch what - at least for her-seemed like a hundred of millions of stars falling, so that she'd wonder if there might be any star left in the sky the night after. Her father would ask her if she'd wished upon one of them and she'd reply to him eagerly: "Yes, that we will always be together, daddy!"  
He'd just smile at her, not daring to let her know that you should never tell what you wished upon a star in order to make it come true...

Anna felt a shiver crawling up her neck, she couldn't tell if caused by her memories or the wind, as she already had Albert wrapping a blanket around them without saying a word. How he seemed to sense and know her every need before she even thought about it herself, was quite beyond her. She closed her eyes as he breathed a kiss on her temple.

"You're alright?", he asked, whispering.

"Yes, I am. How could I not? This is just awesome. Thank you."  
She smiled as she turned her face, her lips gently touching his, as he drew her into a long and intense kiss that made her heart skip a beat. He leaned back, tearing her with him, as he couldn't let go of her. Anna wondered if she ever got tired of his affection, of the feeling he gave her that was spreading out into every fiber of her body.  
She sighed and cuddled closer, resting her head against his chest.

For several minutes, none of them said a word, dwelling in the moment of them just being together, holding, keeping, warming each other, before Anna pointed up to the sky, smiling.

"I know that one. Guess it's is the only constellation I know at all, or at least the only one I remember my dad showing me back then...it's called the Big Dipper, isn't it?" 

"Yeah, that's right. But it's actually not a constellation for itself, but part of a bigger one, the Ursa Major. The Great Bear."

"The what?"

"There, I show you."

Albert took her hand in his, keeping her finger pointed as he directed it along the shape of the starry picture in their view.

"The wagon's handle is the tail, the bowl is the body. Then it goes down, forming the head, here... And the legs, front... and back."

He lowered their hands, entwining their fingers. He smiled as he saw the expression on her face, her eyes still pinned to the sky, fascinated.

"Why is it a bear though?"

"Well, there are several mythological tales concerning that constellation. Northern european, Asian... I prefer the Greek."

Albert exhaled and drew Anna closer, making sure to cover her arm and shoulder with the warm blanket before he continued.

"It's actually a very tragical story, but, well, the Greek have a thing for drama... Anyways, it says that there was this beautiful nymph name Callisto and Zeus, the highest of gods, set his eyes on her, despite that he was married... He wanted to have her so bad that he seduced her when she was on her own and got her pregnant. Banned by the goddess Artemis, to whom she had vowed chastity, Callisto was all alone when she gave birth to her son, Arcas. And when Hera, the furious, jealous wife of Zeus, found out about it all she turned Callisto into a bear that she would no longer attract him. So she got separated from her son.   
Later, when Arcas was grown he was hunting in the woods and encountered with his bear mother, unaware of who she was. Just before he wanted to strike her down, Zeus stepped in by turning them both into stellar constellations, the Ursa Major and the Ursa Minor." He pointed again up to the night sky.  
"Or The Little Dipper. "

"Wow... How do you know about that all? I mean, did they teach you that in sheep school?"

"Hey..." He tickled her lightly, making her shriek and giggle. "Yes, I probably had some miserable schooling, I know, but I've read a lot, educated myself." He grumbled, biting his lips. 

Anna turned her face to him, smiling.  
"I know you are smart, I didn't mean to hurt you." She touched his cheek, stroking it softly. She knew, attending even the most miserable frontier village school was way more than she had been educated at all. Her father had taught her to read and write and to work with numbers up to thousand, but that was it. She wished it could've been different...

"I like how much you know, about all this. I just wondered, where did you get all the books to read?"

"Well, there was a travelling book trader coming along here when I was a kid. His name was Larry. He was in town every three or four months or so, and he always had some new copies in his carriage, novels, poetry and also some science books. To be honest, the crappy folk of Old Stump wasn't quite the biggest deal on his way, he never sold more than one novel or two, but he somehow had a thing for us here, at least for the saloon I guess. Well, I remember me looking at his books and wanting to just grab them all but I couldn't afford a single one, not even half a page. But he always let me step into the carriage and look through them, as long as I wanted. And one day he asked me, if I had decided for a book to buy. And I said 'I don't have the money, sir, not a penny, I'm sorry'. And he smiled and offered me a deal: 'You pick three books you like', he said 'and next time I come along you give them back and tell me everything that's inside, and if I enjoy your stories and telling, you get to pick three new.'   
And so it went, every time he was back in town I exchanged the books after telling him about what I read before. He was amused, I was thrilled.  
I kept the books like a treasure under my bed, that my dad wouldn't find them, you know, for him, reading anything but the holy bible and maybe a school book was a shame, a distraction from what was important in life: hard work and a strong faith. That was all. But not for me.  
I didn't read the books just once, I read them twice, or three, four, five times, every free minute of the day, when the sheep were calm and would let me just watch them in peace. I read them as often as possible until Larry would come back to town and give me some new."

"That is awesome, Albert. He must have seen your passion for books and knowledge." She even had sensed it just listening to the words he'd said. "Bet he was amazing."

"He was..."  
Albert sighed, silently. "Until he just left one day and never came back." 

"Oh... What happened?"

"Well... Someone found him, a few miles out of town, near Woodbury Hill. Books scattered around, his carriage flipped to the side and him amidst of it all in a pile of blood. Head shot."

"I'm so sorry..."  
Anna didn't know what to say as she just cuddled closer. Too many times she had been present when innocent people had lost their lives right in front of her eyes, but just hearing about this person she'd never met but that had meant so much to the man she loved, pierced her deeply.

Albert stroked above her shoulder, leaving a peck on her hair.

"One of the last books he gave me was one about stars and constellations. I read it until the pages fell out. I still have it though. In the box I used to keep under my bed." 

"I'd love to see it. If you wanna show me", Anna said, turning her face to him as she touched his cheek gently. She smiled. "Or just tell me all about it."

"Of course you can see it. And I'd love to tell you all that I know."  
He smiled back at her.   
"I never could share this with anyone, you know? Nobody was as interested as me and at school they used to laugh about me wanting to learn more than necessary. And Edward, you know, he's a great guy and my best friend and the only one I ever had but... He's just... Fine with the world he lives in and doesn't question it much. Maybe that makes him happier, less worrying, but... That's not the way I am. I want to know more, I want to know what's beyond the horizon, what was yesterday and what tomorrow will bring. There is more out there than this crappy spot in the desert that we live in, and even though I'll probably never get to go out there, I just want to know all about it. And I'd love to share that with you."  
The last words whispering, he leaned his brow against hers. He kept her close like that for minutes, just feeling the warmth of her body while inhaling the crisp nightly air, thinking that he couldn't be any happier like he was right now.

  
"You know what?", he then said, looking at her. "I always had a thought about the stars. Well, to be fair, it's a little crazy, maybe...Nevermind."

"Come on, tell me! I want to know everything that's in that crazy, pretty head of yours."  
Anna smiled, batting her eyes.

Albert returned the smile, blushing a little.  
"Alright... Well... I always thought... The sky is like endless, right? I mean, have you ever looked at a map of the world and wondered how huge the oceans are against the land all over the planet? And if the sky is even wider... What if it's also like a real big ocean where you can sail through? Like with a boat, or a ship? "

"Sailing through the sky? Like flying?"   
Anna raised her eyebrows.

"Yes, like flying, but without wings. More like...floating... Well, it looks so...so smooth up there, like water. Like... You could live there, having your house and family and friends all with you and you just... Float. It's hard to describe..."

  
"Well...That's actually a little crazy... But I like the thought of it."

"You do?"

"Yeah... I mean, it would be the ultimate freedom, wouldn't it? Going wherever you want, having everyone you love right by your side...Count me in."

Albert chuckled, drawing her close.

"I definitely do. Us on a farm ship in the sky. I like that."

"We are taking the sheep with us?"

"Of course! I couldn't leave them here. Bridget would drive everyone in town crazy if I don't keep an eye on her. And I could never decide which sheep to take with us and which not, so we'd have to take them all. And maybe Edward and Ruth, if they want. And Curtis! Definitely Curtis. And Marigold. And Plugger! "

"Wait, you mean us four on that ship with all one hundred and fifty sheep, two horses and a dog? Must be a big one then!"

"Well, why not? It's a real ship, so, plenty of space."

"And farm land? What about that? They can't just sit around without eating..."

"Well... Maybe... Maybe we have just plenty of hay and carrots and meat and oh, some real good stuff for them to smoke or eat that will take them into a kind of dream where they can hop around on fresh green grassland and just feel happy."

"Oh my, that's... That's hilarious!"   
Anna couldn't hold in any longer and broke into laughter. That indian drug dream must've left it's marks on her boyfriend.   
"We should definitely do that. The smoking animal dreamland farm ship of Captain Albert Stark."

"Me, the captain?"

"Sure, who else? It's your farm, so you'll be the captain of it all. Or should I?"

"Why not? I'd definitely trust you with that."

"That's good to hear. But I only can give it back. You're more of a leader than you give yourself credit for. You know how to run a farm, it's a little rough sometimes but... Your sheep are all alive and well, and they love you. I know that. So... Let's say, we maybe could share that post then."

"That sounds good."  
Albert stroked a curl from Anna's forehead, holding her gaze.  
"Thank you. For dreaming with me. For being crazy with me. That's all I ever wished for. To go wherever your mind leads you while you're staying right where you are. And you don't have to go alone, someone's going with you. That's amazing."

Anna sighed and leaned in, her lips melting into his as she got wrapped up in his arms.   
For too long she'd been trapped in a cruel reality that she couldn't escape, only being free when drowning in her dreams. But always on her own, with no one to talk to. No one who cared, no one by her side. Until now.

"Take me anywhere. Show me everything. Any place you wish to be, any thought, any dream, no matter how silly you think it might be."

Her hands softly stroking through his dark hair, she whispered at his lips.

"I'm in." 

**Author's Note:**

> The swearing place thing is mentioned in the novel. There it's the same place where they sat on their first night and on the night they got high. It's different from the movie. 
> 
> Sorry for the slight Orville reference. I just had to.


End file.
